The dairy foods are an essential food group for your family's good health, and your child's growth and development. As you can see in the diagram, dairy products do not take up a lot of room on the Pyramid, but are still an important food group to consume daily.
Recommended Intake
The USDA recommendations for milk and other dairy foods are:
- 2 to 3 servings a day
- 2 servings per day for general needs
- 3 servings per day for pregnant women
- 3 servings per day for breastfeeding mothers
- 3 servings per day for teens and young adults
What is a Serving?
One serving of dairy foods is equal to:
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cup of yogurt
- 2 oz. of cheese
- 1 cup of cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup ice cream
- 1 cup soya milk
Why are Dairy Foods Important?
Dairy foods provide essential nutrients, important to the normal growth and development of children, and to the maintenance of good health in parents and adults. The breakdown of the essential nutrients available in diary foods includes:
- Calcium for bones, teeth, nerves, and muscles
- Protein for muscle, cell growth, blood, and digestion
- Vitamin A for healthy eyes, skin, and hair.
- Vitamin D for healthy bones, teeth, muscles, and nerves.
Kids Love Cheese
One way to get kids to eat more dairy products, is to offer them cheese, as a snack or in a prepared dish. There are several cheese choices that you can try. Stick with the mild tasting cheese at first, then slowly introduce the uniquely flavored cheeses. Some examples:
- Cheddar cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Feta cheese
- Ricotta cheese
- Camembert cheese
- Brie cheese
- Pepato cheese
Yogurt can be Yummy!
Yogurt has been a staple food in countries like Europe, Turkey, India, and Nepal for centuries. Before we had refrigerators, yogurt was a safe way to serve dairy products. All yogurt contains live bacteria. Certain bacteria, like acidophilus, are added to heated milk to cause it to ferment, converting lactose to lactic acid. This turns the milk into a soft curd - yogurt!
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